
Class_-b ^-^- 
Book ^ ^ 



■^ / 



V H E 



U 1^) [A'V AND r 111 N C 1 PLES 



OF 



CIVIL GOVERNMENT, 



DUTV OF CHRISTIANS THERETO. 

BEING 

A DISCOURSE 

PREACHED BEFORE THE 

WEST BAPTIST CHURCH AND SOCIETY, 

AUGUST 14, 1812 

BY ARCHIBALD KENYON 



Published by R e q ii e s t c 



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--s«^<J|^. 




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PROVIDENCE: 
PRINTED BY B . \\ A L B R O 

1842. 






THE AUTHOR'S NOTICE. 

It is due to myself, perhaps, to say that I had no intention to publlsii 
the following discourse, until requested to do so by those who heard it; 
and then the great difficulty was, that it was delivered extemporaneous- 
ly. — But I have written it out as nearly as it was delivered, as possi- 
ble. The positions therein taken, are the same identically, and a!so 
the main arguments, though not carried out with that fulness of illus- 
tration which might be desirable. But with all its imperfections, I 
have consented to its being published, hoping that it may do some good 
in the cause of truth. A. KEN YON. 



iJISCOUKSE. 



Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the LordPs 
sake: whether it he to the king as supreme^ 01 unto gov- 
crnors^ as unto them that are sent by him, for the pun- 
ishment of evil doers J and for the praise of them that do 
well. — I Peter, ii. 13, 14. 

It may perhaps be thouglit that I owe you an apology 
(or introducing before you at this time a subject involv- 
ing the duty of Christians to civil government. In an- 
swer to this, permit me to say, that of late, it has become 
quite common, at least in this State, for clergymen to 
preach on the duty of christians to support civil govern- 
ment, even to the taking of human life; or in other words, 
that it is duty to break the sixth commandment, " Thou 
shalt not kill." But this is not my apology or the reason 
of my action; a desire to discharge my duty to God and 
my fellow christians must constitute all the apology I am 
capable of making or offering. 

That the subject is one of great importance and deli- 
cacy, no one, I think, can doubt; and there may be 
questions connected with it, or supposed to be connect- 
ed with it, the intricacies of which I may not now be a- 
ble to pry into, or the difficulties remove. But so far as 
the duty of Christ's disciples is or may be concerned, the 
way is perfectly clear. In the further developement and 
discussion of the subject, I shall call your attention to the 
two following positions. 

1. The object and principle- ol civil government. 



II. The consequent duty of Christians. 
And 

1st. The professed object of civil government is to do 
good, by securing to each individual, all his personal rights 
from injury or destruction by any other person or persons 
— To secure rights vi^hich God has given to every human 
being whom he has clothed with reason and immortality. 
It is not, (as many suppose and argue) to make or grant 
rights, that civil governments are set up. Our rights as 
men originated not in the legal enactments of States or 
Nations, (being anterior to all civil compacts) but with 
God, who gave us existence in his own blessed image. — 
And these rights moreover, are "inalienable;" we can- 
not dispose of them ourselves, much less can others de- 
prive us of them without our consent, and not commit 
injustice against humanity, and usurpation against God. 

In my own mind there is no doubt about the necessity 
and propriety of human government, although it may be 
imperfect and wanting in a great variety of respects. 1 
believe there should be some regulations for society, to 
which there is a general and mutual assent and obligation. 
For without the consent of the governed, all laws arc 
either nugatory or oppressive, and sink into a system of 
mere brute force. To form and adopt such laws lies 
with each generation ; to them it belongs to adopt old 
laws, or frame new ones congenial to their condition and 
feelings. One generation cannot, consistent with natu- 
ral rights, form laws binding upon the succeeding gener- 
ation without their consent, when arrived at the years of 
discretion, unless they assume what they ought not, their 
own infallibility, or without denying the right or compe- 
tency of each generation to act for itself Civil govern- 
ment, tlicreibro, i.*^, in my view, based ii)>un flic mutUtii 



consent of its subjects, lor their miituul profit and secur- 
ity, "deriving its authority, solely from the consent of the 
governed." 

But I am here met with the assertion, that civil gov- 
ernment is a "divine institution," as founded on the na- 
ture and fitness of things, or the Jewish Theocracy. On 
this point I would make the following observations: 

1st, If Civil governmet were a "divine institution" it 
would have assumed some specific form as revealed in the 
Bible. It would either bear the character oi a monarchy 
absolute or limited, an empire or republic, fee. But there 
is, I believe, no special form given it in the Bible, which is 
not true of any ordinance therein revealed. 

Again were it a "divine institution" it would not prove 
alternately, a blessing and a curse to the world. When 
civil government has been administered upon just and 
equitable principles, it has been a blessing — the accused 
have had fair and honorable trials, the poor have been 
shielded from the oppressions of the rich, and the weak 
and defenceless from tlie power and caprice of the strong. 
But when on the other hand, civil power and official dig- 
nity have been prostituted for party purposes, or for the 
personal aggrandizement of the ambitious, it has proved 
as great a scourge to mankind, as any thing else 
under heaven. All which is not true of any religious 
ordinance. There are certain great and fundamental 
principles of action presented in the word of God bind- 
ing upon us individually and collectively; so that in the 
organization and execution of civil government, we have 
true way marks to direct our steps and regulate our ac- 
tion. The first is to love God supremely, and the second 
to love our fellow-men as ourselves, being our equals — 
'a /I men are cqvaL and en(|pwed widi the same inalien- 



(5 

ublc rights," and well may wc ait say. "-rights arc righl>^ 
(iod's are no more — man's akio?no less." 

Again it will not answer to say that as civil government 
is permitted it is approved; we might say the same of the 
introduction of sin into the world. For wise and good 
reasons God permitted adultery, and regulated pohgamy. 
But docs all that prove that he any where approved ol 
either ? not at all. For equally wise and good reasons, 
God \m^ permitted civil government in all possible forms, 
but he no where in all the volume of inspiration, says thai 
he approves them, nor could he, without sanctioning the 
greatest injustice, or supporting the most cruel oppression 
and revolting depravity the sun ever shown upon. 

Nor does God any where in the New Testament, call 
upon christians to support government, (as is common for 
it to be supported ) If he did, it v/ould be equivalent to 
a duty to break every law of the deealogue. And who 
does not know tiiat the most zealous supporters of politi- 
cal affairs, are in very many instances, the most unprinci- 
pled of men, daily violating God's government, in all its 
claims and prohibition ; and that no christian can act with 
such men in their measures without sacrificing his religion 
to expediency, fraud, or political knavery. But I will 
pass to consider the second division of my subject. 

2d. The duty of christians to civil government. The 
text afibrds uncquivoca,] evidence ol what is our duty as 
christians, to "submit to e'ccry ordinance of man for the 
Lord's sake," Jet every soul he subject to the higher 
powers. You will perceive in ;i moment, that the duty is 
clear, what God requires is submission and not support 
Jn all the sermons of D. D's., and essays of politicians 
which 1 have seen of late, there Ikss been an obvious effort 
to coufound submission and snpjsoi!, nuikir.g no dilfcr 



encc; rJiibiniHsioii mtiy Iw. reiuk'rcd in two w;iys, iirst i>y 
obeying tiie dictates ot" the law when it requires nothing 
wrong, or forbids nothing right; and secondly, by snlVer- 
mg the consequences when the statute law could not be 
obeyed without violating moral law. 

As Christians, we are bound by every consideration of 
interest and duty, to obey magistrates, when they require 
nothing but what is right, but farther than this our duty 
does not and cannot oblige us. Universal obedience to 
civil laws, is not required either by the law or example of 
Jesus Christ. Refer, if you please, to the Apostles who 
were imprisoned, scourged and forbid to preach Christ. 
What is their testimony.-^ '■ Yv lietiier it be right in the 
sight of God, to hearken unto you mo/e than unto God, 
judge ye." So in all cases, when obedience to, or the 
execution of (he civil law would, at all intiM-fere with 
the spirit or letter of the gospel, we are bor.nd to dis- 
obey that civil law, let what will be the consequence. 
Civil government ought not, and can not legally re- 
quire men, and especially christians, to break the laws 
of Heaven, but I ask, does it not do so .'^ does not 
government require the breach of every law of the 
decalogue, does it not require man to kill man, christ- 
ians to kill christians and sinners, and sinners to kill 
and send each other up to the judgment, reeking in 
their guilt and blood ? 

And can christians engage in the taking of life be- 
cause government says so, when God has said ''thou 
shalt not kill ?" Now I ask which is right, civil gov- 
ernment or God ? For nearly two centuries after 
Christ, not a single christian is known to have acted 
on the principles of military warfare. (1) And by 

(1) " TfRTULLiAN, who iiiav be mentioned next in order of time. 



the way, this fact is a good commentary upon the tbl- 
lowing passages of scripture : " On earth, peace, good 
will to menf^ ^^ Love thy neighbor as thyself ;^^ '■'Do 
good to all men ;" '' Love your enemies, bless them that 
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them that despitefully use you and presecute you,'''' 
Should two rival powers command us at the same 
time, in different directions, our duty is to obey that 
power which has the highest claims ; and of course, 
when onr rulers require any thing wrong, we are to 
disregard them, and obey God, however strongly ex- 
pediency might urge compliance. Should the civil 
law forbid the exercise of charity to man, or devotion 
to God, every christian is boimd to repudiate and diso- 
bey such law, and suffer the consequences, even unto 
death. Now suppose for instance, we are by the 
statute law required to steal, can we do it? Or to com- 

strongly condemned the practice of bearing arms. I shall give one or 
two extracts from him on this subject. In his dissertation on the Wor- 
ship of Idols, he says, ' Though the soldiers came to John, and received 
a certain form to be observed, and though the centurion believed, yet 
Jesus Christ, by disarming Peter, disarmed every soldier afterward ; 
for custom never sanctions an unlawful act.' And, in his Soldier's 
Garland, he says, ' Can a soldier's life be lawful, when Christ has pro- 
nounced that he who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword ? 
Can one who professes the peaceable doctrines of the gospel, be a sol- 
dier, when it is his duty not so much as to go to law ? And shall he 
who is not to revenge his own v^rongs, be instrumental in bi'inging others 
into chains, imprisonment, torment, death T 

(2) " And as the early Christians would not enter into the armies, 
so there is good ground to suppose that, when they became converted 
there, they relinquished their profession. We find from Tertullian, in 
his Soldier's Garland, that many, in his time, immediately on their con- 
version to Christianity, quitted the military service. We are told, also, 
by Archelaus, whoflouiished under Probus, in the year 278, that many 
Roman soldiers, who had embraced Christianity, after having witnessed 
the piety and generosity of Marcellus, immediately forsook the profess- 
ion of arms. We are told, also, by Eusebius, that, about the same time, 
' numbers laid aside a military life, and became private persons, rathe» 
than abjuro their roliaion ' 



luit adultery, or to bear false witness, can we do eith 
er and not sin? I think not, but suppose we are com- 
Hiiiided to do all this, and even to break the sixth com- 
mandment, 'Thou shalt not kill," can we do it? I 
answer no. Or can a saint, a minister, in obedience to 
any human law,arm himself with the weapons of death, 
go out to the slaughter, and deliberately let out of 
its veins the current of life, covering the earth with 
blood, filling the air of lieaven with the groans of the 
wounded and dying, carrying sadness to many hearts, 
and send a soul unbidden to the bar of judgement ? 
can this be done without sin r 

By these remarks, you will not understand me as 
repudiating all government, or to say that christians 
should have nothing to do with it, but I do say, that 
christians should never support any law or system of 
laws, which is wrong or even doubtful. Even the 13th 
of Romans does not require support hut submission, nor 
does it imply, that God's people are to lay down their 
consciences to gratify despots or crafty politicians, 
but obey God, and suffer the results, submit ''for 
conscience sake," resist not evil; religion forbids christ- 
ians using questionable means to obtain what is in 
itself right. 

Could I justify men, or think the bible justified them 
in doing violence, to obtain or preserve their rights, I 
could wish for one grand " insurrection among the 
slaves of the south, that they might cry out" with 
Patrick Henry, '■^ Give me liberty or give me death^^^ 
throw off their shackles and obtain their freedom. 
But I think, rather " let the potsherds of the earth, 
strive with the potsherds of the earth, but let chris- 
tians stand aloof from all that is at all doubtful, 



It) 

;?/€«, and more, let every man leave all his vmnts and 
oppressions with God, " vengencc is mine, I will repay, 
saith the Lord." 

Rather suffer the fires of persecution to seize upon 
our bodies, or the liorrors of the Spanish inquisition 
to be practiced upon us than sin against God, or stain 
our hands in our brothers blood; or let our churches, 
villages and cities be like those of the V\ aldenses, than 
tarnish our christian profession or violate the princi- 
ples of our holy religion. 

" Good will to all men," should be our motto, and 
'' love without dissinmlation," the controlling sentiment 
of our souls. I respect "a just and ccjuitable govern- 
ment, carried into effect upon humane and christian 
principles. 1 would not disobey any government, or any 
of its laws, unless it interfere with my higher and 
heaven born obligations, either to worship God, or love 
man. Should any civil power forbid me to do a favor 
to any man, whether a slave or a freeman, I ought 
-' to do to others as I would wish to be done by," 

My conscience and that of every other man, must be 
left perfectly free, not only upon religion and morals, 
but upon all subjects, even politics. There is no 
aristocracy of mind or conscience, all are of right and 
must be free, to be what God designed them. I claim 
as a man the right to think, and express my thoughts in 
decorous language, and every other man ought to claim 
and exercise the same; to sacrifice this, would be to 
prove recreant to our duty to God and the world. 
But were 1 or others prevented the free exercise of this, 
physical violence could not, as I look at the subject, be 
justified in obtaining or securing such rights. We 
should be bound both from expediency and duty, to use 



1! 

pcacoablo Jiieaiisonly, and it" we sull'er, suli'er as chris- 
lians. not '' as evil doers." I would say to all christians 
and to all men, submit to the '' powers that be," un- 
less a change can be brought about by an appeal to 
reason and conscience. Bear all your afflictions with 
patience, resigning all into the hands of God. Let 
us each strive to be men and women, of peace loving 
righteousness and truth, and hating every form of vio- 
lence, and all appeals to brute force, to settle disputes. 
One word more, I am happy to say that the church 
with which I have the honor of being connected, sym- 
pathises with me in this view ot the subject, ever ready 
to do what is right, or refuse to do what is wrong. I 
make this remark because the report has gone out, 
that we are inimical to government, but it is not so. 
We may, and probably do differ radically in some 
respects from many of our fellow citizens, (which is 
certainly our right to do,) but by no means are guilty 
of doing any thing which the word of God will con- 
<lemn. 

And in conclusion, let me say to all my brethren, of 
all parties and opinions, lay aside prejudice and prayer- 
fully examine the New Testament upon this great 
question. Do not suffer the sophistry of party poli- 
ticians to deceive you, or bedizzen your brains, but 
look into the perfect law of liberty, and do the will of 
God, and when you find the New Testament requires 
you to support civil government, right or wrong, do it, 
or if you are in duty bound to kill, then kill, but if 
on the other hand, you are bound to forgive your en- 
emies, and render submission to the powers that be, 
then discharge in the fear of God, your solemn duty, 
and may God give us all hearts of peace and love, and 
may ho bless his truth to all. Amen. 



